A familiar exposition or commentarie on Ecclesiastes VVherein the worlds vanity, and the true felicitie are plainely deciphered. By Thomas Granger, preacher of the Word at Butterwike in East-holland, Lincolne.

Verse 14.

For out of prison hee commeth to raigne, whereas also he that is borne in his kingdome becommeth poore.

A Confirmation of the Antithesis, or contrariety, by the contrary effects of wisedome and folly in them both. For out of prison he commeth to raigne: That is, though he be a captiue, and kept in hold vnder chaines, as Ioseph was, yet by wisedome he commeth not onely to obtaine liberty, but also riseth by degrees to the scepter: So that he which was a bondman, is now become a King; contrarily, he that is borne in the kingdome becommeth poore, as if he should say the other was a made bondman, but borne a king, this made a king, but borne poore, because that the other was in his birth and bondage of a kingly heart and disposition, as was Dauid, though of meane parentage; but this in his kingly birth

and royall preheminence, is of a declining and degenerating heart and disposition, as was Iehoiakim, and Comah; Ier. 22. Whereby it commeth to passe, that he looseth the reuerend and awefull regard of his subiects, as did Sardanapalus, &c. By folly and wilfulnesse, are great houses and kingdomes ouerthrowne, and translated to others, whereof the Scrip∣tures affoord diuers examples. By prison-house is meant any of meane estate, or low degree, as Dauid was, and as Ioseph was, according to the Psalme 113. 7. 8. and specially Psalme 106. 17. 18. 19. 20. By borne King, is meant any of higher estate, degree, or preheminence in outward things, by the fi∣gure Synecdoche. Such like were Zedekiah, Iehoiakim, Coniah.